Archives West Finding Aid

Camp Kearns was established in 1942 to assist in the American war effort. The US Army Air Force established it on an area of dry farmland, fourteen miles southwest of Salt Lake City. At its height, the base had a 1.7 million square-foot warehouse, 926 tar-paper sheathed buildings, three theatres, two gymnasiums, three fire stations, two service clubs, sixteen mess halls, a cold storage plant, recreation fields, parking areas, a ten-wing hospital, a bank, post office, telegraph office, and train station. In 1943 the camp had become Utah's third largest city with a population of 40,000 soldiers and nearly 1,200 civilian employees. After the war the base was declared surplus and auctioned off in 1948. The street and utility infrastructure remained and was purchased for $287,270.